Finish rim for surface drains and the like



June 26, 1962 M. A. SISK 4 FINISH RIM FOR SURFACE DRAINS AND THE LIKE Filed July so, 1954 I N VEN TOR.

Martin AQ $115k BY Unite tare Ii 40,895 Patented June 26, 1962 tic My invention relates to surface drains for use in the doors of shower baths, roadways, decks of ships, floors and roofs of buildings, and the like, to provide debrisexcluding protection at the inlets of drain openings or pipes. The structure of the invention will also find utility as a guard for pipes and openings of any sort in which liquid is received, and in the operation of which it is desirable to exclude solids of a size that might clog the opening, or the pipe leading therefrom.

In general, an outlet or floor drain of the type in mind consists in a cup-shaped body that is embedded in the floor structure whose surface is to be drained, and the inlet of the body is covered by a removable grate whose upper face lies flush with such surface. The body of the drain forms a belied terminus at the end of a drain pipe laid beneath or within the floor structure.

In the usual prior structures the grate, consisting in a perforate plate of metal, rests at its periphery in a rabbeted seat formed in the rim of the cup-shaped body of the drain, and the greater part of the water entering the drain does so through holes or openings in the grate that are located inwardly from the rim of the drain body, with the result that the flowing water does not com pletely flush or wash the inner surface of the side wall of the drain body. Consequently, debris carried by the waste water tends to accumulate on such surface of the drain body, especially just below the grate, and between the seat and the edge of the grate. The accumulated debris over a period of time is subject to decomposition, creating foul odors and unsanitary conditions. In order to cleanse such drains, it is necessary to remove the grate and scrub or scrape away the accumulations-manifestly a disagreeable task. A feature of this invention resides in the elimination of the objectionable conditions.

In the drain structure with which I am presently concerned, the seat for the grate comprises a beveled or tapered surface that extends peripherally of the drain body. As viewed in vertical section the beveled seat extends downwardly and inwardly from the top of the drain body, and the grate of the drain structure has a rim, or has lugs extending outwardly from its rim, formed to engage snugly such beveled seat, with the top surface of the grate and the peripheral edge of the drain body rim positioned flush with the surface of the floor to be drained. In some cases it is desirable that the top of the drain body shall be finished with a material (such as brass, or stainless steel, or the like) having a more attractive appearance than the cast iron of which the drain body is normally formed. It is desirable taht a finish rim of such design be provided so that both the cast iron drain body and the grate may be standardized for use either with or without the finish rim.

With these circumstances in mind, it will be understood that the object of my invention is to provide a finish rim which is beveled and particularly formed on its underside precisely to register with the top of the drain body, while the top of the finish rim is formed in substantially exact duplication of the top of the drain body, whereby the finish rim may be interposed between the top of the drain body and the grate, without requiring any change or adaptation in the structure of either.

The application for these Letters Patent comprises a continuation-impart of my copending US. application,

Serial No. 288,774, filed May 20, 1952 now Patent No. 2,783,852, dated March 5, 1957.

in the accompanying drawing, FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section of a drain structure having a finish rim embodying my invention, as seen on the plane I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan of the drain structure of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views corresponding to FIGS. 1

and 2, respectively, showing a drain body of modified form, and illustrating my finish rim as it may be applied to drain structures having grates or covers of less spe cialized form than that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of a drain body and finish rim of further modified form.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the drain body may be formed of cast iron, comprising two body portions 3 and '4 united in a threaded joint 5, whereby the elfective height of the body may be varied as need be in making an installation. The upper body or collar portion 4 is provided with a periphery or edge 6 that defines the inlet of the drain body, across which inlet a grate 7 i positioned. Extending downwardly from the edge 6 the side wall of the two-part drain body comprises a vertical succession of smooth peripheral surfaces e, f, g and h, the latter surface ([2) sloping downwardly and inwardly to an openingin this case a threaded opening k-which is adapted to receive the terminal of a drain pipe (not shown) for conducting drainage liquid to a sewer, or other point of disposal. While the inlet of the drain structure, defined by the edge 6, is herein shown to be circular in plan, it will be understood that the form of the inlet may be square, octagonal, or of other contour.

The internal side wall of the two-part drain body, extending downwardly from the edge 6 in a substantially continuous series of smooth surface areas (e to [1) that fair one with another, provides a downsweep that is unobstructed, having no recesses or ledges in which, or upon which, drainage water, or sediment, or debris may accumulate. Cooperating with this particular form of the internal surface of the drain body is a slot formed between the periphery of the grate and the edge 6 of the drain body inlet, as will presently appear.

The lower portion 3 of the drain body has a radially extending, horizontal flange 10 upon which the usual subfioor membrane or flashing 11 of lead or tar paper is secured in usual way. The membrane 11 is a conventional detail of construction, and for present purposes it need only be remarked that any water seeping from the floor surface 8, downwardly between the drain body and the adjacent body of the floor, is caught on the membrane and drained through weep holes w into the drain body.

The grate or perforate cover 7 of the drain structure is in this case of general plate or disk-like form, comprising an annular portion whose outer periphery is indicated at 12, and within such annular portion spaced cross-bars or bearer-bars 13 form the open-work structure of the grate, through which drainage liquid may enter the drain body therebelow.

Extending downwardly and inwardly from the drain body edge 6 is peripheral seat 40 which may form the support for the grate 7, or which, in accordance with my present invention, is equipped with a finish rim 14 formed of a high finish material of the sort indicated in the foregoing context. It is important to note that the finish rim 14 is formed on its under surface with a beveled portion that snugly fits the beveled rim seat 40, and with a portion that snugly fits the edge 6 of the drain body, and screws 16 are tightened in threaded openings formed in the wall of the drain body, to hold the finish rim assembled thereon. The top of the finish rim 14 is in assuage form a duplicate of the edge 6 and beveled seat 40 of the drain body, whereby the grate may be used interchangeably upon the drain body without the finish rim 14, or with such rim, as desired.

Extending outwardly from the grate body and integral therewith is a plurality of relatively narrow radial lugs that are beveled on their under faces to engage snugly the beveled grate seat 4011 of the finish rim lid. The lugs 15 are widely spaced apart circumferentially of the grate, and a slot 9 is formed between the outer peripheral edge 12 of the grate and the upper or top edge portion 6a of the finish rim. The slot 9 forms a substantially continuous flushing opening which is peripherally coextensive with the side wall of the drain structure. A large part of any liquid to be drained from surface 8 is received by the slot 9, whence the liquid flows straight downwardly upon and over the unrestricted internal surfaces of the drain body below, thereby flushing such surfaces with a downsweeping flow of liquid that keep them clean. While the slot 9 is narrow enough to exclude from the drain solids of a size that might clog the drain pipe, the area of said slot is so proportioned with respect to the aggregate area of the openings between the bars 13 that, as noted, a large part of the liquid draining into the structure enters by way of the slot, thus insuring the desired scavenging or scouring flow of liquid downward upon the unrestricted drain body side wall.

When it becomes essential to flush-out the drain pipe, and the trap associated therewith, with a bucket of water or a hose, it is not necessary, as in the case of prior structures, to remove the grate, since an adequately rapid flow of water through the drain can be obtained to remove sediment from the drain pipe and trap, if indeed sediment can collect when the drain of this invention is used. My drain structure serves substantially the same purpose as the more costly flushing rim drains that are provided with a hollow rim into which water is piped under pressure. Furthermore, the tapping of such fiushing water from city supply lines is undesirable because it necessitates cross connections with the city supply, with the danger of back syphonage and contamination of the city water.

Another point may be mentioned: Since the grate 7 is supported by lugs located outward from the grate rim 12, the tendency is negatived for the grate to tilt when pressure or load is applied to the rim of the grate. Indeed, the grate tends to seat tighter and to be more resistant to tilting when load is applied to its rim, located as it is within the limits of the points of support.

It will be perceived that the finish rim 14 entirely covers the drain body edge 6 and the beveled seat 40. The finish rim is inclined uniformly on both top and bottom, with the consequence that it may be interposed between the rim of the drain body and the grate without requiring any change or adaptation in the structure of either. As may be seen in FIG. 1, the peripheral edge or top surface 6a of the finish rim and the top surface of grate 7 lie flush with the surface 8 to be drained.

In those installations in which the drainage slot 9 is not needed .a grate 70 of the form shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be used. The grate 7% does not have lugs 15, but it is formed with a peripherally continuous rim 7% that is beveled on its underside 70b, nicely and snugly to engage the beveled seat of the finish rim 14. The grate 70, as in the case of the grate '7, may be formed of the same high finish material as the finish rim, whereby the .appearance of the exposed top of the grate conforms with the exposed top edge 6a of the finish rim.

The grate 79 may be provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs 75 that extend downwardly within the finish rim and serve to locate and retain the grate in centered position on the drain body. Manifestly, the lugs 75 may be formed as a continuous downwardly extending rib on the grate 70. In'the structure of FIGS.

1 and 2 each grate-supporting member 15 may be equipped with a centering lug 25. In a sense the grate supporting members 15 of the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be considered to be a bottom-beveled grate rim of interrupted continuity, with each portion 15 of such interrupted rim have a centering lug 25.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are further iiiustrative of the fact that the drain body 39 may be formed as a single casting adapted to be engaged (cf. threaded outlet 36k) to the end of a drain pipe, and if desired the flashing flange (cf. flange iii in FIG. 1) may be omitted from, or included with, such drain body attached.

In the structure of FIG. 5, the seat 56 of the drain body 53, as well as both the top and underside of the finish rim 55, are beveled throughout their entire crosssectional extent. Screws 51, engaged with threaded bosses 52 formed on the body 53, are provided for securing the grate or cover 54 in position. Otherwise the body 53 and rim 55 of FIG. 5 may be identical with those of FIGS. 1 and 3.

The structure shown in each of the figures of drawings hereof may be equipped with a solid cover, the same as the perforate covers or grates illustrated, except that the perforations are omitted; thus providing an excess drain body whose inlet opening may be securely covered or closed for the purpose of enclosing fixtures (such as cleanouts or valves, etc.) installed below floor surface, or for service where there are only occasional flushings of the floor surface, or to prevent entry or back-flow of water from sewer pipes (due to floods) to which the drain or access facility is connected. For such purposes and others, the solid cover may be applied and secured by screws (note the screw 51 in FIG. 5 engaged in threaded boss 52) either upon the top of the access or drain body, or upon the top of the finish rim. The solid cover may be readily removed and replaced as desired.

As shown in the drawings, each of the finish rims has an inner peripheral edge that extends upwardly from the internal surface portion of the hollow drain body which is located immediately below such inner edge of the rim. The inner peripheral edge of the rim provides in effect an upward continuation of the internally exposed surface (e) of the drain body, all of which enhances the desired self-cleansing character of the drain structure.

Furthermore, it will be understood that the structures of FIGS. 1 to 4 may be provided with screws and threaded bosses (as in the case of the structure of FIG. 5) for securing the grate 7 or 70, while permitting of the ready removal and replacement of the grate.

Part of the subject-matter of the application for this patent was embodied in my parent application, Serial No. 649,537, filed February 23, 1946 (now Patent No. 2,607,434, dated August 19, 1952), from which it was divided, and included in my copending application Serial No. 288,774, filed May 20, 1952 (now Patent No. 2,783,852, dated March 5, 1957) of which the application for this patent comprised a continuation-in-part.

These and other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a preformed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of the peripheral side wall and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which stand substantially in vertical alignment with and within the lateral confines of said beveled seat and which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism with each other and with said beveled seat, whereby an identical beveled seat for the support of a cover encom passes said inlet of the hollow body both when said finish rim is applied to such body and when it is not.

2. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a preformed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of the peripheral side wall and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which stand substantially in vertical alignment with and within the lateral confines of said beveled seat and which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism with each other and with said beveled seat, whereby an identical beveled seat encompasses said inlet of the hollow body both when said finish rim is applied to such body and when it is not, and a cover having an outer portion which on its under-face is inclined in complement to said beveled seat for supporting in conjunction with the beveled seat and the structure underlying the seat, the cover in position across said inlet.

3. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a pre-formed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of the peripheral side wall and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which stand substantially in vertical alignment with and within the lateral confines of said beveled seat and which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism with each other and with said beveled seat, whereby an identical beveled seat encompasses said inlet of the hollow body both when said finish rim is applied to such body and when it is not, and a cover having an outer peripheral portion which on its under-face is inclined in complement to said beveled seat for supporting in conjunction with the beveled seat and the structure underlying the seat, the cover in position across said inlet, together with lug means extending downwardly from said peripheral outer portion at points immediately adjacent to and within said finish rim for centering the cover in supported position on said beveled seat.

4. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a pre-formed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of said hollow body and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism and uniformity throughout their extents, the inner peripheral edge of said finish rim extending upwardly from and in substantial alignment with the internal surface portion of the hollow body located immediately below said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim, whereby said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim forms in effect an upward continuation of said internal surface portion of said hollow body, and the under-surface of said finish rim, including said bottom peripheral surface portion, being formed in complement to, and snugly e11- gaging, the top of the peripheral side wall of said hollow body.

5. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a pre-formed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of said hollow body and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism and uniformity throughout their extents, the inner peripheral edge of said finish rim extending upwardly from and in substantial alignment with the internal surface portion of the hollow body located immediately below said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim, whereby said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim forms in effect an upward continuation of said internal surface portion of said hollow body, the under-surface of said finish rim, including said bottom peripheral surface portion, being formed in complement to, and snugly engaging, the top of the peripheral side wall of said hollow body, whereby an identical beveled seat encompasses said inlet of the hollow body whether said finish rim is applied to such body or not, and a cover having an outer portion which on its under-face is inclined in complement to said beveled seat for supporting in conjunction with the beveled seat and the structure underlying the seat, the cover in position across said inlet.

6. A finish rim and means for securing it on a device of the class described comprising a hollow body formed with a peripheral side wall having a top encompassing an inlet for said body and extending downwardly from said inlet to form an outlet, with the inlet-encompassing top of said side wall provided with a peripheral surface portion that slopes downwardly and inwardly to form a beveled seat; said finish rim comprising a pro-formed ring that is adapted to overlie said top of said hollow body and that has top and bottom peripheral surface portions which slope downwardly and inwardly in parallelism and uniformity throughout their extents, the inner peripheral edge of said finish rim extending upwardly from and in substantial alignment with the internal surface portion of the hollow body located immediately below said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim, whereby said inner peripheral edge of the finish rim forms in effect an upward continuation of said internal surface portion of said hollow body, the undersurface of said finish rim, including said bottom peripheral surface portion, being formed in complement to, and snugly engaging, the top of the peripheral side wall of said hollow body, whereby an identical beveled seat encompasses said inlet of the hollow body whether said finish rim is applied to such body or not, and a cover having an outer portion which on its underface is inclined in complement to said beveled seat for supporting in conjunction with' the beveled seat and the structure underlying the seat, the cover in position across said inlet, together with lug means extending downwardly from said peripheral outer portion at points immediately adjacent to and within said finish rim for centering'the cover in supported position on said beveled seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,663 Langill Dec. 4, 1883 889,051 Schodde May 26, 1908 976,108 Weiler Nov. 15, 1910 977,860 Franklin Dec. 6, 1910 1,704,023 Stead Mar. 5, 1929 1,830,065 Luff Nov. 3, 1931 1,836,491 Niedecken et a1. Dec. 15, 1931 1,995,474 Gunther Mar. 26, 1935 1,999,277 Boosey Apr. 30, 1935 2,323,224 Kuhnle June 29, 1943 2,478,976 Modlin Aug. 16, 1949 2,607,434 Sisk Aug. 19, 1952 2,672,205 McDonald Mar. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 364,838 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1932 623,464 Great Britain May 18, 1949 

